This application relates to waste collection devices, and more specifically to hand held devices for sanitarily retrieving solid or semi-solid animal waste and the like from the ground.
Pet owners generally need to clean up after their pets. Typically, a pet owner would use a bag around their hand to retrieve and dispose of animal waste, which creates a highly unpleasant tactile sensation. Various other methods have been devised to avoid this manual retrieval of animal waste, such as the use of scoops, shovels, rakes or other cumbersome tools that are inconvenient to transport, require more than one hand to operate, or not very effective in grassy or sandy environments. Furthermore, use of these tools, including just a bag, usually requires one to carry the device and/or the used bag with them in one hand while holding a leash in the other. In addition to securing animal waste, the removal of other undesirable objects, such as small deceased animals like birds and mice may call for the use of a bag or other device that faces many of the same challenges that animal waste presents. There is therefore a need for a convenient, effective solution for the sanitary retrieval of waste that eliminates the feel of the waste through a bag, can be utilized with one hand, and which can allow for efficient transportation of the device and used waste bag.